Tuesday, 21 February 2012

Promising start to engine flight-test campaign one year ahead of A350 first flight

Flight tests to ensure high level of maturity from day one

The A350 XWB’s new engine – the Rolls-Royce Trent XWB – has successfully made its maiden flight aboard Airbus’ dedicated A380 “Flying-Test-Bed” aircraft. The aircraft took off from Airbus facilities in Toulouse and performed a flight of more than five hours during which the engine covered a wide range of power settings at altitudes up to 43,000ft. The aircraft handling qualities were evaluated from low speeds to Mach 0.9. The engine not only operated flawlessly, but also demonstrated its new-generation fuel efficiency and low noise.

“The A350 XWB’s engine performed excellently during its first flight-test, just as we expected,” said Charles Champion, Executive Vice President of Engineering at Airbus. “This is a promising start to the Trent XWB’s flight-test programme which will ensure a thorough real-life testing of the engine, nacelle and its systems.” He adds: “This will allow for a high level of powerplant integration, maturity and reliability to be achieved by the time it flies on the first A350 XWB aircraft.”

Commencing around one year prior to the A350 XWB’s first flight, this engine flight-test programme is scheduled to accumulate around 175 flight hours – some three times more airborne flying hours than on previous programmes. This will be accomplished over a seven month period and will include hot weather as well as icing condition testing campaigns. It will also test the advanced nacelle and thrust reverser system provided by Goodrich.

The overall objective of these flight-tests is the early and systematic validation of all performance aspects of the engine and also the associated systems. In turn, this will contribute to significantly ‘de-risking’ the A350 XWB’s development well ahead of entry-into-service. The first results of this flight-test campaign are expected this summer.

Airbus is the world’s leading commercial aircraft manufacturer producing the most modern and efficient airliners from 100 seats to over 500. Airbus has design and manufacturing facilities in France, Germany, the UK, and Spain as well as subsidiaries in the US, China, Japan and in the Middle East. Headquartered in Toulouse, France, Airbus is an EADS company.

SYDNEY — Thousands of travelers from Hawaii to Thailand were stranded Friday after budget airline Air Australia ran out of money and went into voluntary administration, immediately grounding its five-jet fleet.

The Brisbane-based international and domestic airline, formerly known as Strategic Airlines, said all flights had been canceled and the airline would not be accepting new bookings because it could no longer pay its bills. Voluntary administration in Australia is similar to bankruptcy protection in the U.S., and can buy a company time to trade out of its financial problems.

"It currently appears that there are no funds available to meet operational expenses so flights will be suspended immediately," the airline said in a statement. Passengers who bought tickets with credit cards or had travel insurance may be given a refund, the airline said.

Around 4,000 passengers were overseas with Air Australia round-trip tickets, voluntary administrator Mark Korda said. Some of those affected were stranded in Honolulu and Phuket, Thailand.

"Overnight, the company was unable to refuel its planes in Phuket," Korda told Australia's Fairfax Radio. "The directors appointed us at 1:30 this morning and the boys have been working throughout the night to deal with what's a very difficult situation."

Stranded in Honolulu, Priya Sinh was forced to postpone her 18th birthday party on Saturday at her home on Australia's Gold Coast. She used her iPad to log onto Facebook to tell her 70 guests not to come because she wouldn't be back in time.

"We tried to laugh about it, but it wasn't funny," she said while her family called hotels looking for a room. Her mother managed to reserve the last four seats on a Jetstar flight to Sydney leaving Saturday.

Australian airline Qantas and Jetstar, its budget subsidiary, were considering adding services to help stranded passengers get to their destinations, Qantas CEO Alan Joyce said. He said the airline will sell stranded passengers tickets for the same price they paid for their Air Australia tickets, giving them a chance to recover the full price from their travel agencies or credit card companies.

Air Australia's fleet consists of five Airbus A330-200 and A320-200 aircraft, and regularly flies to Bali, Phuket, Honolulu and cities within Australia.

Korda said in a statement that Air Australia's administrators were calling for immediate expressions of interest in the sale of the business.

Thursday, 16 February 2012

SINGAPORE AIRSHOW – Airbus, ST Aerospace and EADS EFW have signed an MoU for a strategic partnership to develop the A330 Passenger-to-Freighter (P2F) conversion programme. This agreement, setting out the project’s foundation and granting Authorisation To Offer[1] for the A330P2F, was signed by Chang Cheow Teck, President of ST Aerospace; Tom Enders, President and CEO of Airbus and Andreas Sperl, CEO of EADS EFW; in the presence of Stanislaw Tillich, Prime Minister of German’s Federal State of Saxony.

For the project, ST Aerospace will lead the A330P2F engineering development, working with Airbus and EADS EFW who will subsequently be responsible as programme lead during the industrial phase, and will undertake most of the conversions at its facilities in Dresden, Germany. Under the agreement it is planned that EADS EFW will become the European centre for ST Aerospace’s global maintenance, repair and overhaul operations. The project is subject to the definitive agreements being finalised in the coming weeks and also to regulatory clearances.

The A330P2F programme includes two versions – the A330-200P2F and the larger A330-300P2F. Of the two models, the larger A330-300P2F will be particularly suitable for integrators and express carriers thanks to its high volumetric payload capability with lower-density cargo. Complementing this will be the A330-200P2F which will be optimised for higher-density freight and longer range performance. Entry-into-service for the first A330-300P2F is targeted for 2016.

Chang Cheow Teck, President of ST Aerospace says: “Aircraft conversion is one of the most complex modifications which demands precision and engineering finesse. We are thrilled to partner industry experts Airbus and EADS EFW for this new A330P2F conversion programme.” He adds: “We are looking forward to leveraging our engineering design experience, to provide value added solutions to the aircraft operators.”

Andreas Sperl, President and CEO of EADS EFW says: “The strategic partnership with ST Aerospace is the right step at the right time. Together with Airbus we will develop an outstanding A330 freighter conversion which will add another chapter to our successful Airbus-P2F programme.”

Tom Enders, President and CEO of Airbus says: “Alongside our highly efficient A330-200F factory-built freighter, Airbus has always been committed to extending its freighter portfolio, and the A330P2F is the perfect next step to building the Airbus Freighter Family.” He adds: “Working with our industry leading partners ST Aerospace and EADS EFW is a great opportunity in providing the best P2F economics and performance for freight operators.”

Stanislaw Tillich, Prime Minister of German’s Federal State of Saxony says: "The aircraft industry has a long tradition in Dresden since the first German passenger jet was built there. Following today’s agreement, I am very happy that the resulting A330 Passenger-to-Freighter conversion programme will bring EADS EFW to a world leading role in this industry sector, and it will also tighten the relationship between Saxony and Singapore."

Approximately 2,700 freighters will be required over the next 20 years, and around half of these will be in the mid-sized freighter segment, including 900 conversions. Addressing this requirement, both the A330-200P2F and the A330-300P2F facilitate the change to environmentally-friendly, new-technology converted freighters, while recognising the operators’ focus on capital cost. As well as complementing the factory-built A330-200F in service today, the A330P2F freighter conversion programme will also enhance and sustain A330 Family residual values by extending the economic lives of A330 airframes.

The A330 Family includes Passenger, Freighter, VIP, and Military Transport/Tanker variants, has now attracted around 1,200 orders. Thanks to the introduction of numerous product improvements, it still holds its position as the most cost-efficient in its class and a core asset in the world’s fleets. Today the A330 fleet has accumulated over 20 million flight hours and almost five million revenue flights. More than 830 A330s are now in service with over 90 operators, achieving average dispatch reliability above 99 percent.

ST Aerospace is the aerospace arm of ST Engineering. Operating a global MRO network with facilities in the Americas, Asia Pacific and Europe, it is the world’s largest aircraft MRO provider with a global customer base that includes leading airlines, airfreight and military operators. ST Aerospace is an integrated service provider offering a full spectrum including: airframe, engine and component maintenance, repair and overhaul; engineering design and technical services; and aviation materials and management services. The company has a global staff strength of more than 8,000 engineers and technical specialists.

EADS EFW based in Dresden Germany, combines various aviation and technology activities under a single roof, including the conversion of passenger aircraft into freighter configuration, maintenance and repair of Airbus aircraft and various engineering services. As of today, EADS EFW has converted more than 170 freighter aircraft for 39 customers globally. Today’s EFW portfolio also includes the A300-600P2F and A310P2F. As EADS’ centre of excellence for freighter conversions, EFW pushes the further development of the Airbus freighter family.

Airbus is the world’s leading commercial aircraft manufacturer producing the most modern and efficient airliners in every category, from the single-aisle A320 Family up to the world’s largest airliner, the A380. Airbus has design and manufacturing facilities in France, Germany, the UK, and Spain as well as subsidiaries in the US, China, Japan and in the Middle East. Headquartered in Toulouse, France, Airbus is an EADS company.

One of the first customers is Qatar Airways who are looking to convert their passenger A330 aircraft into freighters as and when the new Boeing 787 aircraft come on line into the fleet

Bhutan’s Drukair orders an Airbus A319 with Sharklets

Most efficient jet aircraft for high altitude airport operations

Drukair, the flag carrier of landlocked Eastern Himalayan mountain Kingdom of Bhutan, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for an Airbus A319 aircraft fitted w ith fuel saving Sharklets to complement its existing fleet of two A319s.

Surrounded by a tall wall of mountains and located at an altitude of over 7,000 feet, Drukair operates out of one of the world’s most challenging airports at Paro, where approach is by Visual Flight Rules (VFR) only. This means the crew can only fly by vision, which requires a high performance and responsive aircraft. The A319 is the largest aircraft operating out of Paro.

“For any landlocked country, aviation is the gateway to the world and its economic importance cannot be overestimated,” said Dasho Sonam Tshering Drukair Chairman. “The Airbus A319 is the largest aircraft flying to Bhutan, and it has allowed us to welcome even more visitors in comfort and style.”

Drukair will deploy the new aircraft to increase capacity on existing regional routes as well as to open up new services to Singapore and Hong Kong.

“The A319 offers unmatched performance helping it to be operated from the world’s most challenging airports where other comparable aircraft are unable to,” said John Leahy, Airbus Chief Operating Officer, Customers. “The added range and fuel efficiency of the A319 equipped with ‘Sharklets’ will help Drukair to expand to new markets and doing so in the most fuel efficient way possible.”

Sharklets have been specially designed for the Airbus A320 Family to reduce fuel burn by up to an additional 3.5 percent, corresponding to an annual CO2 reduction of around 700 tonnes per aircraft. This reduction is equivalent to the CO2 produced by around 200 cars annually. The wingtip devices will also enhance the aircraft’s performance.

Over 8,300 A320 Family aircraft have already been ordered and some 5,000 delivered to more than 350 customers and operators worldwide reaffirming its position as the world’s best-selling single-aisle aircraft family.

Tuesday, 14 February 2012

ALAFCO orders additional 35 A320neo

Lessor strengthens portfolio with world’s fastest selling aircraft

14 February 2012

ALAFCO Aviation Lease And Finance Company, the Kuwait-based international aircraft leasing company, has finalised a purchase order for 35 A320neo Family aircraft bringing its total backlog for the type to 85.

The firm contract is an increase of the previous agreement signed at the 2011 Dubai Airshow for 50 A320neo aircraft.

“After a full analysis, we concluded that the A320neo will continue to be in strong demand, therefore, we are seizing the opportunity to secure an additional 35 aircraft to meet the future requirements of our customers. The A320neo is the market’s favourite single-aisle aircraft family,” said Ahmad A. Alzabin, ALAFCO Chairman & CEO. “The significant fuel burn savings it offers, combined with the operational reliability and cost effectiveness of the A320 Family, make it an absolute “must have” in our portfolio.”

“Higher fuel prices means airlines require fuel efficient aircraft and with the A320neo offering a 15 per cent fuel burn reduction, it is the ideal investment. The A320neo reduces operating costs whilst enabling airlines to offer the best cabin comfort levels,” said John Leahy, Airbus Chief Operating Officer Customers. “This significant order from ALFACO confirms that the neo ticks all the right boxes and is clearly the best product on the market.”

Over 8,300 A320 Family aircraft have already been ordered and some 5,000 delivered to more than 350 customers and operators worldwide reaffirming its position as the world’s best-selling single-aisle aircraft family. The A320neo has over 95 percent airframe commonality making it an easy fit into existing fleets while offering up to 500 nautical miles (950 kilometres) more range or two tonnes more payload at a given range.

The A320neo is a new engine option for the A320 Family entering into service from 2015 and incorporates latest generation engines and large "Sharklet" wing tip devices, which together will deliver 15 percent in fuel savings. This reduction in fuel burn is equivalent to 1.4m litres of fuel – the consumption of 1,000 mid size cars. This saves 3,600 metric tonnes of C02 per aircraft per year, the amount absorbed by 240,000 mature trees. The A320neo NOx emissions are 50% below CAEP/6 and this aircraft also has considerably a smaller noise footprint.

Monday, 13 February 2012

Thai Smile to launch operations on July 1 with Airbus A320 Aircraft, first route will be to Macau

February 12, 2012 —

Thai Smile Air (subsidiary of Thai Airways International) (Bangkok) will launch operations on July 1 linking Bangkok (Suvarnabhumi) with Macau with Airbus A320s. Four A320s will serve the new subsidiary flying from BKK also to Chiang Mai, Phuket, Kolkata, Jakarta, and Phnom Penh in the first year.
Previously the parent said this about the new brand:
“Thai Airways International Public Company Limited (THAI) will have a light-premium sub-brand, THAI Smile Air.
Responding to the high demand for more price-sensitive segment in short sectors, THAI is launching a “light premium” sub-brand that will service both domestic and international destinations.
In its first year of operations, using Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport as its main hub, THAI will introduce the sub-brand THAI Smile Air to replace the main brand in Ubon Ratchathani, Udon Thani, Khon Kaen, Chiang Rai, and Surat Thani.
The main target market for these initial in-country flights will be the young small and medium business traveler as well as local traveler, government agents, who wants a relaxed, stylish atmosphere on board without the premium price.
THAI Smile Air light premium service will offer a complimentary meal and drink service, free passenger seat selections, faster check-in procedures, 15-20 kg baggage allowances, and the ability to accrue frequent flyer mileage on both THAI and the Star Alliance network.
Just like THAI, which was rated in 2011 as the world’s 5 th best airline by Skytrax Surveys, “our new sub-brand promises to give passengers high value for a good price,” Woranate said.
By 2013, THAI Smile Air’s fleet of 11 brand new lean 174-seat Airbus A320 planes are expected to fly to neighboring countries—India, China, and most ASEAN member states of Southeast Asia—thereby making these regional destinations that much more accessible, with relative comfort and ease.”
In addition, Thai does not believe the new brand will be a conflict with low-cost subsidiary Nok Air since Nok Air only flies domestically out of Don Muang airport, while THAI Smile Air passengers will be able to connect to international flights out of Suvarnabhumi Airport. Also, THAI Smile Air will fly to Khon Kaen and Chiang Rai, two destinations not covered by Nok Air.